Where to feast in Dubai

And be seen

Dubai’s culinary scene has certainly come into its own: in 2014, two restaurants, La Petite Maison and Zuma climbed further up the San Pellegrino’s Top 100 list; there’s been an influx of celebrity chefs from across the world; international cuisine is now available across different price segments; home-grown brands such as Table 9 by Nick and Scott have made their presence felt; and there’s even a Zagat Guide for Dubai. But you’re only in town for a short break and you’ve got a lot of shopping to do, so where should you go? And what should you order? We list the essentials. Eat here, or you’re missing out.

Zuma

Japanese The Dubai branch of chef Rainer Becker’s string of izakaya-style Japanese restaurants is housed in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and is always buzzing. It dishes up innovative small plates of food (such as fried soft-shell crab with wasabi mayo, and crispy squid with green chillies and lime) in a large downstairs restaurant; the upstairs lounge bar serves potent cocktails.Dish to try: Salt-grilled sea bass with burnt tomato and ginger(Website; meal for two from AED800 or Rs13,850)

Al Mahara (seafood)

If you don’t mind the fish staring back at you while you’re dining.

As if being located at the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel wasn’t novelty enough, the underwater Al Mahara has an incredible floor-to-ceiling aquarium right in the centre of it, featuring a wealth of colourful marine animals and plants, including sharks. The regal blue, gold and red colour scheme of the restaurant adds to its appeal.Dish to try: Line-caught sea bass with jus piperade(Website; meal for two from AED1,200 or Rs20,800)

Pai Thai (Thai fare)

You reach Pai Thai by a water-taxi.

Located at the Dar Al Masyaf Hotel, this Asian restaurant is accessible by an abra (water-taxi). It has wonderful views of the canal and top-notch food.Dish to try: Gaeng kiew wan gai (green chicken curry)(Website; meal for two from AED400 or Rs6,900)

Pierchic (contemporary seafood)

Pai Thai stands at the end of a wooden, candlelit pier that stretches out into the ocean.

The romantic fine-dining restaurant at the Al Qasr hotel is situated at the end of a wooden, candlelit pier that stretches out into the ocean. On one side, you can see the Jumeirah shoreline, and on the other, the Burj Al Arab and the Arabian Gulf.Dish to try: Roasted beef tenderloin with sautéed wild mushrooms, carrot and parsley(Website; meal for two from AED400 or Rs6,900)

Asado (Argentinian food)

Asado serves authentic La Parrilla meals.

For an authentic La Parrilla meal, where premium meat cuts are prepared on an open grill, Asado is the top spot. It has a lovely terrace and a view of The Dubai Fountain.Dish to try: Cabrito (roasted baby goat)(Website; meal for two from AED600 or Rs10,400)

Table 9 by Nick and Scott (international cuisine)

Gordon Ramsay protégés Scott Price and Nick Alvis stayed on in Dubai after Ramsay left, to create this European fine-dining restaurant, introducing a chef’s table, a more casual style and one of the most innovative menus in the city.Dish to try: Crispy egg(+971-4212-7551; meal for two from AED450 or Rs7,800)

BiCE (Italian)

For a lovely meal in the Jumeirah Beach Resort area, head to BiCE at the Hilton Dubai, where the food and service are always terrific. An oil trolley—with a variety of high-quality olive oils to drizzle over your dish—should tell you just how seriously this restaurant, with branches across the globe, takes its food.Dish to try: Home-made ricotta and spinach tortelli with creamy white truffle sauce and black truffle brunoise(Website; meal for two from AED400 or Rs6,900)

STAY (French)

Arguably the best restaurant at the One&Only The Palm.

Arguably the best restaurant at the One&Only The Palm, STAY (the acronym for Simple Table Alléno Yannick) is fronted by chef Yannick Alléno, who earned his three Michelin stars while working at Hotel Le Meurice in Paris and won two more at Cheval Blanc in Courchevel. Yannick’s food arrives in well-sized portions (barring the fish mains), but be warned, it can be pretty heavy on the wallet.Dish to try: Black Angus beef tenderloin ‘Café de Paris’(Website; meal for two from AED600 or Rs10,400)

Nobu (Japanese fusion)

The name Nobu Matsuhisa is enough.

If the quality that the name Nobu Matsuhisa has come to represent isn’t enough reason to visit this restaurant, then we really don’t know what is. The Japanese celebrity chef has 32 restaurants across five continents.Dish to try: Black cod yuzu miso(Website; meal for two from AED800 or Rs13,900)

Indego by Vineet (contemporary Indian)

Indego by Vineet does Indian food with a unique modern twist.

Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia’s contemporary Indian restaurant at Grosvenor House in Dubai should be a definite stop for anyone interested in learning about Indian food with a unique modern twist. Traditional spices are given a contemporary treatment in a truly flavourful menu.Dish to try: Home-smoked honey salmon with scallop chutney and lemon upma(Website; meal for two from AED650 or Rs11,300)

Wafi Gourmet (Lebanese)

The city’s best Arabian deli counter overflows with cheeses, olives, peppers, pickles, truffles, hummus and tabbouleh, and sweets such as baklava.Dish to try: Batata hara(Website; meal for two from AED150 or Rs2,600)

Mannaland Korean Restaurant

This little gem offers delicious, wholesome food, and many of its patrons are Korean, so you know that the food is as authentic as it should be.Dish to try: Marinated short rib barbeque(+971-4345-1300; meal for two from AED200 or Rs3,500)

Pars Iranian Kitchen (Persian)

At the Satwa branch of this restaurant, skewers of delicious meat are cooked right in front of you. The portions are large and the atmosphere relaxing. It’s a great place to enjoy local culture away from the gloss of the ski slopes and the dancing fountains.Dish to try: The mixed-grill platter (+971-4398-4000; meal for two from AED200 or Rs3,500)

La Petite Maison (Niçoise/Mediterranean)

La Petite Maison boasts a variety of meats on its menu.

This is the real home of fine Niçoise cooking in Dubai, by way of Rue Saint-François de Paule in Nice. The dishes are meant for sharing, making it a great place for a quick and enjoyable lunch with friends. The adventurous can choose from a variety of meats, including venison.Dish to try: Burrata with tomatoes and basil(Website; meal for two from AED600 or Rs10,400)

Al Safadi (Lebanese)

The Al Rigga Road outlet of this restaurant is quite large, and has a terrace and a shisha bar. Stop by for reasonably priced, healthy fare in clean surroundings. If you’re a falafel fan, then Al Safadi is definitely worth a visit.Dish to try: Hummus with freshly baked pita(Website; meal for two from AED150 or Rs2,600)

The Rivington Grill (British)

The Rivington Grill at Souk Al Bahar is a favourite with British expats, who gorge on its fish cakes, burgers and sticky-toffee puddings. The outside terrace, with its stunning views of the Burj Lake, Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain, enhances any meal here.Dish to try: Traditional Fish ‘n’ Chips(Website; meal for two from AED450 or Rs7,800)

Al Reef Lebanese Bakery (Lebanese)

This tiny, 24-hour eatery on Al Wasl Road is famous for its manakeesh, a folded Arabic flat bread with different toppings (cheese being a favourite). Apart from the hordes of locals who throng the eatery in the mornings, Dubai’s partygoers can also be seen here at 3am. The sweets’ section is not to be missed, especially because of the baklava.Dish to try: Manakeesh(+971-4394-5200; meal for two AED70 or Rs1,220)

La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie (organic French/Mediterranean)

A short-rib dish at La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie.

This Dubai hotspot opened last August at the Vida Downtown hotel. With a boulangerie downstairs and a more formal bistro upstairs, chef Izu Ani (formerly of La Petite Maison) has brought his signature Niçoise food to yet another stylish Dubai eatery. Ani sources only organic ingredients from farmers and artisan suppliers throughout Europe. His boulangerie, open for breakfast and lunch, has some of the best freshly baked bread in the city.Dish to try: Scottish salmon, fresh herbs and confit lemon(Website; meal for two from AED400 or Rs6,900)

Maison Bagatelle (French)

Located in Downtown Dubai, this offshoot of New York’s Bistro Bagatelle doesn’t aim to recreate the raucous, boozy brunches across the Atlantic. Instead, it’s a more low-key, Parisian-style crêperie and café, with ex-La Petite Maison chef Tim Newton at the helm. The restaurant deserves honours for its flavourful and inventive breakfast dishes, especially its French toast, which is made out of brioche.Dish to try: Truffled Mac and Cheese(+971-4420-3442; meal for two from AED250 or Rs4,350)

Cucina Mia (Italian)

The one-metre-long pizza at Cucina Mia.

Swarming with Italian chefs from nearby restaurants in the Dubai Marina area, this is clearly the place to go if you’re looking for authenticity. It’s a cosy eatery that uses superior Italian ingredients to make some of the best pizza ‘a metro’ (by the metre)—the typical Neapolitan way to enjoy different toppings, all on one giant, metre-long pizza. The fish dishes are nearly always made with the fresh catch of the morning.Dish to try: Carpaccio di Salmone(Website; meal for two from AED150 or Rs2,600)

Coya (Latin American)

Coya’s thoughtful lighting makes it the best place to be seen.

Born in London, Coya’s Dubai outpost at the Four Seasons hotel is a hotspot: the drinks are fantastic, the food is excellent; even the thoughtful lighting makes it the best place to be seen. The dishes include a range of classic ceviche, a variety of ethnic hot pot, tiraditos (sliced raw fish), and anticuchos (grilled skewers of fish, meat and vegetables).Dish to try: Tempura de Chile Amarillo Peruano(Website; meal for two from AED1,000 or Rs17,500)

Junoon (Indian)

Aloo tiki chole chaat at Junoon.

Junoon, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant by chef Vikas Khanna is the place for you if you’re a fan of goat meat and seafood, The menu features five Indian cooking elements: tandoor, tawa, digri, handi and pathar. Khanna has also created several locally inspired dishes (mutton rose biryani, date cakes) using ingredients sourced from the Middle East itself.Dish to try: Chocolate date with milk chocolate parfait, date cake, hibiscus purée, chilli glass and Scotch braised dates(Website; meal for two from AED650 or Rs11,300)

Social by Heinz Beck (Mediterranean)

A couscous and seafood dish at Social by Heinz Beck.

If you’re looking for the culinary delights associated with Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck’s La Pergola in Rome, then head to Social, at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. It serves a similar mix of creative European cuisine but in a less formal setting. The German-born chef serves light dishes of seafood such as grilled tuna with Mediterranean perfumes, along with others like beef tenderloin with an apple onion jus.Dish to try: Grana Padano risotto with duck confit(Website; meal for two from AED900 or Rs15,600)

Nusret (Turkish)

While it’s still difficult to score a table at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach’s Nusret, it’ll be worth the effort: the beautiful cuts of meat are expertly grilled with sea salt and ground pepper; the beef carpaccio is served in delicate rolls with Parmesan crisps, olive oil and rocket. Even the vegetarian quinoa salad is superb.Dish to try: Nusret special (and the baklava!)(Website; meal for two from AED1,800 or Rs31,200)

Qbara (contemporary Middle Eastern)

Octopus & Zhug at Qbara.

What Manish Mehrotra and Gaggan Anand are doing for Indian food is what chef Colin Clague is attempting at Qbara. The menu is a thoroughly modern take on Middle Eastern cuisine, boasting dishes such as crispy raw vegetables, truffle-scented labneh, lobster kibbeh with fresh herbs, avocado labneh. For mains, choose from seven-spiced crispy salmon with Moroccan tomato jam and mastic oil, or the slow cooked lamb shank with garlic, sumac and chickpea purée.Dish to try: The Qbara Experience set menu(Website; meal for two from AED800 or Rs13,850)

Busaba Eathai (Thai)

Busaba Eathai is one of London’s best-known Thai restaurants, created back in 1991 by Alan Yau of Yauatcha, Hakkasan and Wagamama fame. Brand new in Dubai, it offers a range of easy Thai food in a casual environment.Dish to try: Prawn crackers with sweet chilli sauce(Website; meal for two from AED173 or Rs3,000)

Check out these 14 must-dos for your Dubai trip:

1/14

Shop till you drop: Hit the insanely huge Dubai Mall, which has something for everyone. Check out the Dubai Fountain come alive with lights every evening. Photo: 123Rf

Ski at Mall of the Emirates: With a ski school, Penguin Encounter and ski camp, this is the coolest place in Dubai to take your kids to. Photo: Clint McLean/Corbis

Look down from the Burj Khalifa: You’re at the tallest skyscraper on Earth, and the observation deck has a viewing level on the 148th level. Got it, right? Photo: 123Rf

See Dubai on a seaplane: With Seawings’ service, you can soar over the Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis, Dubai Marina and the two Burjs and have them under you, if only literally and momentarily.

Enjoy go-karting: The Kartdrome at the Dubai Autodrome offers Arrive & Drive sessions on both indoor and outdoor tracks, with state-of-the-art leisure karts.

Get dazzled by the Gold Souk: But be prepared to bargain if need be. Photo: 123Rf

Savour a romantic dinner underwater: Set the mood with the floor-to-ceiling aquarium and delicious gourmet seafood at Al Mahara, the famed restaurant of the Burj Al Arab.

Go dune-bashing in a 4x4: There’s the lure of desert adventure, plus ending in a Bedouin camp with shisha, barbecued food, belly-dancing and the stars above you. #Bliss. Also make time for camel rides and sand-skiing. Photo: 123Rf

Jump from the sky: Face your fears with Skydive Dubai, which also offers a tandem jump experience (with a professional instructor); expect the thrill of a free fall and an unforgettable view.

Have Friday brunch at Al Qasr: It’s too pricey to waste, but its legendary sprawl of outstandingly good food, from exquisite seafood to a suckling pig, the unlimited prosecco and mojitos, makes it still one of the best brunches in Dubai.

Party on Sheikh Zayed Road: It’s home to the city’s top nightclubs, from the swish Armani/Prive at the Burj Khalifa and Club Cavalli (pictured) at the Fairmont to the weirdly wonderful Cirque Le Soir, also at the Fairmont, and Movida at the Radisson Royal.

Dance on the beach: A winter speciality, Dubai’s beach bars attract some of the biggest DJs in the world, and the grand-daddy of parties is at Nasimi Beach (pictured) at Atlantis, which hosts the Sandance Festivals.

Discover old Dubai: Wander the Bastakiya (pictured) and Shindagha areas near the Creek, where peaceful streets are lined with beautiful coral houses. Also visit the XVA gallery, which combines contemporary art with modern Arab-influenced product and furniture design. Photo: 123Rf